Whether you’re searching for an edge in the workplace tipping comp or just desperate to talk some footy, you’ve found the place. Join Oscar Pannifex as he unpacks the scrum each week in the NRL.
Roosters on the rocks
A 10-point loss to the Cronulla Sharks in Round 7 sees the Sydney Roosters slump to 9th on the NRL premiership ladder at time of writing. As has happened over the last few years, criticism is beginning to circle around Trent Robinson’s approach to his team’s attack – particularly the shared involvements of Brandon Smith, Victor Radley, Luke Keary, Sam Walker and James Tedesco.
There’s no doubt the Roosters are still searching for their rhythm with the ball in hand. That shouldn’t come as a surprise – Easts have built their way into each NRL season for a few years now. They’ve always won enough games throughout the year to put themselves in a position to kick on come finals, and 2023 feels no different. So rather than getting all histrionic about their growing pains in attack, lets have a look at what Easts are getting right.
I spoke about the Roosters simplifying their attack a few weeks ago to play a power game through the middle. Flooding the ruck, winning quick play-the-balls and playing at speed over the ad line feels like a recipe for success for the Roosters in 2023. Both tries scored against Cronulla in Round 7 confirm this.
Keary gave us some wonderful insight into the Roosters attacking plans when interviewed at half-time on Friday night. He spoke about trying to get at Nicho Hynes early in a set before going back there later in the count. Sure enough, the Roosters had some joy targetting the spaces around Hynes in the first-half, coming up with two tries to Egan Butcher and Brandon Smith.
From a set start, Egan Butcher makes a beeline toward Briton Nikora and Royce Hunt on the Sharks right edge. He fights to play the ball quickly which allows Lindsay Collins to back him up with a scything carry back in behind the ruck.
Nikora is again dragged into the tackle as Collins finds his front and plays the ball. Two good hit-ups is all the Roosters need to generate some ruck speed, inviting Smith to scoot from dummy-half on tackle three:
Smith picks up some cheap metres around the ruck and almost pokes his nose through the line here. Keary is a little late to react but can be seen pushing up in support of his hooker as Easts flood the middle. Smith doesn’t find a pass but he does manage another quick play-the-ball as the Roosters shift to the right edge through Jarred Warea-Hargreaves, opening up the left-hand side of the field.
With four regulation hit-ups, Easts have put pressure and fatigue into Cronulla’s line. Nikora and Oregon Kaufusi have both made repeat defensive efforts in the passage while Braden Hamlin-Uele has been asked to track the ball around the ruck. They don’t have time to look up and count the numbers when Warea-Hargreaves plays the ball and Easts come back to the left on through Radley and Keary:
The shape is a simple one but the Roosters execute their actions perfectly here. Radley gets deep into the line with Collins off his hip, drawing Nikora in towards the ball. When the pass goes out the back, Keary has Nikora beat for speed and Hynes is sat on his heels with two Roosters coming at him. Keary finds his backrower with a nice pass and Butcher strolls through the space on Hynes’ outside, scoring a try that began four tackles earlier in the same defensive channel.
It was more of the same when Smith burrowed over himself 10 minutes later.
Again from a set start, it’s Terrell May this time who drags Nikora and Hunt into the tackle.
Jack Williams is caught up in there too, asked to make consecutive defensive efforts as the Roosters test Cronulla’s line. He tries his best to slow down Radley’s play-the-ball but the Roosters lock gets to his feet before the Sharks can reset on their line. Radley’s play-the-ball is the trigger for Smith to run on this occasion:
With Will Kennedy filling in at A-defender, Hunt positions himself close to the ruck to support his fullback. Williams is out of position at marker which prevents Kennedy and Hunt from sliding out with Nikora here, opening up a space between the B- and C-defenders. With a dip of his head, Smith burrows low and just finds the line with an outstretched arm.
It looks simple and it is. A hint of ruck speed and all of a sudden the Rooosters find two quick tries on their left edge, targetting spaces they identified during the week.
Rather than going on with it though, the Roosters instead conceded a total 14 penalties, two ruck infringements and three sinbins in the remaining 60 minutes. Their discipline in defence was poor to discount any promising work they did with the ball in hand, and their early lead slipped away from there.
As concerning as this loss is, the fault doesn’t lie with Robinson and his game plan. Beaten by 400+ metres in yardage, the Roosters spine didn’t get many opportunities to execute whatever Robinson had drawn up during the week. On the rare occasions they did, they produced points.
The return of Angus Crichton and Sitili Tupouniua over the next few weeks could be crucial. The Roosters have looked their best in recent years when laying the edges and doubling up down short sides. In Crichton – and to a lesser extent, Tupouniua – Easts have two destructive, line-running backrowers who can skittle defenders and generate ruck speed on the edges. From there, Smith will get his opportunities to run and Walker, Keary and Tedesco can scheme down blind sides.
An injury-hit forward rotation hasn’t allowed the Roosters to play to their strengths to begin the NRL regular season. As they welcome back some key contributors to the pack, we should see more of the good and less of the bad from Trent Robinson’s men.
Always Next Week For…
… the Newcastle Knights
The Knights dished up another inspired performance in Round 7 only to fall just short to the Penrith Panthers in extra time. The boot of Nathan Cleary once again proved the difference, kicking two field-goals in the dying stages to snatch a win from the jaws of defeat.
While the end result is disappointing, Knights fans have some reason to celebrate. Seven rounds in, Jackson Hastings and Lachie Miller are kneck-and-kneck in Buy of the Season conversations. Hastings is providing Newcastle with something they haven’t had since Mitchell Pearce – direction and composure in attack. He’s passing them into good areas on the park and helping to get the most out of their strike players – it’s no surprise that Bradman Best is producing his best numbers since a breakout 2020 season thanks to Hasting’s service from halfback. In the backline, Miller is providing the X-factor in attack. His speed out the back of shape and his pre-pass movements are helping turn field position into points more often than not.
Respectfully speaking, Newcastle’s ceiling isn’t as high as other NRL club’s. They’re a gritty, effort-based team and that mentality is keeping them in contests they would’ve fallen out of in previous years. While finals footy might be a stretch too far, the Knights are building a solid foundation while their star player sits on the sidelines. If they can maintain their current form, Kalyn Ponga will win close games like this one for the Knights when he returns.
NRL Round 7 Shout-Outs
Sea Eagles switching gears – The Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles bashed the Melbourne Storm out of the contest in Round 7 – something that doesn’t happen often to Craig Bellamy’s men. While pleasing to see from a Manly perspective, the challenge now is to back it up. We know the Sea Eagles have the attack to trouble most teams in the NRL, but defending their line like this shifts them from premiership dark-horses to premiership contenders. Let’s run it back next week, Seibs.
“Manly‘s defensive intensity can best be summarized in one tackle: Haumole Olakau’atu folding Justin Olam in half and sending the Papuan off for an HIA.” – NRL Round 7 Scores & Team Grades
Tyson Gamble – He’s been a fringe first-grader for most of his career but Gamble is thriving in Newcastle this season. As he did at the Broncos during their lean years, Gamble’s “follow me” mentality is helping the Knights to play an aggressive, gritty style of footy. He’s a player we usually associated with effort moreso than skill, but his 39-metre field-goal to give Newcastle the lead on Saturday was all-class. Adam O’Brien might need to find a position for Gamble when Kalyn Ponga returns – perhaps through the middle as a ballplaying lock.
Moeaki Fotuaika – Despite Payne Haas, Tino Fa’asuamaleaui and David Fifita taking the field on Saturday night, it was Fotuaika who stood tallest in the battle of the big men.
Big Mo played out a career game for the Gold Coast Titans as they threatened to upset the competition leading Broncos in Round 7. He put the team on his back and repeatedly carried them into Broncos territory. He was also a colossus in defence, leading the kick chase at times and making some crucial cover tackles. Finished with 199 running metres (62 in post-contact) and 33 tackles in a losing side.
Battered Bulldogs – The hits just keep comin’ for the embattled Caterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs. Jacob Kiraz and Jake Averillo joined a growing casualty list for the Dogs on Sunday, ruining any chance of an upset win over Parramatta. Thankfuly, Tevita Pangai Jnr made a successful return to the NRL this week and played out a promising 47 minutes in the middle. He and Max King – who has enjoyed a superb start to the season – will need to shoulder much of the load through the middle in the coming weeks.
Clint Gutherson’s X-factor – While Parramatta’s brains trust scours the market for some X-factor to add to their backline, they might’ve missed Gutherson swallowing up literally everything Matt Burton threw at him in Round 7. The Eels fullback was faultless under the high ball despite some signature Burton bombs raining down on him all night, refusing to give Canterbury a cheap shot at Parramatta’s line. He mightn’t have the attacking output of a James Tedesco or Latrell Mitchell, but Gutherson continues to be one of the most reliable players in the NRL.